1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to soffit assemblies and, in a presently preferred embodiment, provides an easily mounted soffit vent assembly to reliably provide an aesthetically pleasing finish.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The underside of a structural component, such as a beam, arch, staircase, or cornice is often referred to as a soffit. In building construction, the underside of a roof eave is referred to as the soffit.
In the construction of buildings such as houses, residences, apartment buildings, and various other types of buildings, the soffit of the roof eave may preferably be vented. One advantage of venting the soffit is that of improving circulation in the attic or other spaces under the roof to thereby significantly reduce cooling costs.
Prior art attempts to provide an easily mounted soffit have been problematic. The following patents and documents show prior art attempts to reduce the time and cost of installing soffit vents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,446, issued Sep. 1, 1998, to J. T. Tamlyn, purports to disclose the following: a soffit assembly made of inside and outside soffit boards, each comprising two or more serially arranged boards. When assembled, the inside and outside soffit boards define a central gap closed by a vent strip having perforations there along to enable breathing through said vent strip. The vent strip also includes left and right U-shaped receptacles to enable the vent strip to snap to the adjacent soffit boards. A cross strip is also set forth which has an H-shape in profile to enable the adjacent boards to be abutted against each other and thereby joined with said cross strip at the joint between the boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,924, issued Feb. 1, 2000, to J. T. Tamlyn, purports to disclose the following: an adjustable reveal for use in wall construction. In a framed wall, a first and second panel are positioned on the wall to define parallel edges. The spacing between the edges is adjusted so that a sight area is seen between them. A back panel parallel to the two edges is positioned adjacent to the frame and supports an integrally-made extending J-shaped slot which is adapted to clasp around and along the edge on one of said panels. A movable J-shaped slot encloses the other edge, thereby defining the visible site area between the two edges. The back panel is integral with one of the J-shaped slots, and the other is preferably positioned in front of the back panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,095, issued Jun. 29, 1999, to J. T. Tamlyn, purports to disclose the following: a strip for protecting the lower edge of framing of a structure above foundation. It attaches at the outer face of the foundation and framing to protect the interface. Moreover, it extends outwardly. In one embodiment, a normal shoulder or face abuts the marginal edge of sheet panel material. In another embodiment, an angle face is located so that the strip can be positioned under a first plank to define a sloping angle so that overlapped planks can be built on the exterior to shed rain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,592, issued Aug. 17, 1999, to J. T. Tamlyn, purports to disclose the following: a soffit construction is set forth for use under the eave of a roof overhang on a building. A lengthwise soffit board (one or more serially arranged) is placed parallel to and at the top end of the outside wall under the cove. There is a first outside soffit board which is parallel to an inside soffit board. The two boards in series are arranged to define a gap. The two soffit boards define parallel edges to enable a vent strip to be snapped between the two edges. The vent strip engages the board's edges to position a covering in the gap with a set of perforations there to enable air flow up into the roof for ventilation purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,598, issued Oct. 5, 1999, to J. T. Tamlyn, purports to disclose the following: an inside strip which is installed at the inside corner of a typical frame construction building having an external veneer. The framing defines a corner post with framing extending behind two walls at right angles. The two walls are covered with an external veneer such as a sheet layer or horizontal or vertical planking. At the inside corner to exclude the intrusion of water which might otherwise cause rotting, an inside strip is installed. It has the shape of a W-fold defining a center edge which is located at a position typically exposed along the inside corner. The elongate strip of W-fold construction includes outer marginal rectangular faces which are caught behind the wall during construction so that the strip is held in position to protect against the entry of water and inclement weather at the inside corner.
Instructions for Installing Tamlyn Brand SNAPVENT® soffit vent based on the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,799,446 and 5,937,592, discloses the following steps for installation:
1. Allow for 2″ channel width of Snapvent (2¾″ channel width if using wide Snapvent) in your overall soffit material width calculation (Snapvent legs are installer-friendly in covering ½″ past the channel cut on each side).
2. Working inside out, install inner soffit board, nail to lookouts. Don't nail within 2″ of desired vent location to avoid soffit material being overly tight against lookouts.
3. Install Snapvent on inner soffit board (Snapvent will hang loosely on other side). Installed Snapvent should have a smooth flat finish—not recessed.
4. Slide other Snapvent side into outer soffit board, nail to lookouts.
5. At natural seam of end of 8′ Snapvent and soffit install Tamlyn vinyl H Mold across to cover both seams. (The smaller leg of the H Mold should face down.) Terminate vent approximately one (1) foot from corners.
6. To finish, nail through soffit into lookouts approximately 2″ from the vent on either side. This will securely hold Snapvent in place.
The above cited prior art results in numerous installation problems and inefficiencies. As per the above assembly instructions, which describe the soffit vent shown in several of the above patents, the inner soffit board is first installed, then the soffit vent is installed, and then the outer soffit board is installed. Due to the difficult mounting procedure, this assembly process normally requires two construction workers. This prior art soffit vent is also difficult or impossible to remove, as may sometimes be desired, without removing a soffit board.
Other prior art problems include the need to spackle or paint over nails utilized to secure the soffit boards in position to thereby cover their presence, a time-consuming job. In the prior art, close soffit assembly tolerances are required to install the soffit vent thereby increasing construction time. If the soffit board thickness is not very close in tolerance to the requirements of the prior art soffit assembly requirements, problems in appearance may result. For instance, if the soffit board is too thick by even a small tolerance, perhaps by one-thirty-seconds of an inch, a particular size soffit vent may not fit correctly. For instance, if it is too thin, it will produce a shadow. The close tolerance requires manufacture of a large number of different size vents thereby manufacturing costs. If the soffit board is too thin, a shadow may be produced as the soffit vent hangs down which may then require spackling and/or paint to cover.
Consequently, there remains a need to provide an improved soffit vent assembly system and method. Those of skill in the art will appreciate the present invention, which addresses the above problems and other significant problems uncovered by the inventor that are discussed hereinafter.